Media Pages

What Speakers Should
Put on Their Media Pages

Sasha was asked to speak at a local event.
She happily said, “Yes!” But when she saw the promotional flyer for the event,
she cringed. The event coordinator had used an old photo of her that was low-resolution.
It distorted and looked terrible. The bio that the coordinator had included was
horribly out of date, too.

Things like this happen when speakers don’t
keep their information updated. Every speaker looking to land work should have
a “media” or “promotional” page on their website. Here’s what to include on
yours…

Your Bio

You want both a short biography (2-3
paragraphs) as well as a longer one (4-5 paragraphs). Ideally, you want to
mention your mission statement, what you focus on, as well as any important
credentials.

For example, if you’ve written a book that
went on to become a New York Times
Best-Seller that information should be included in your bio. If you speak
at conferences for marriage therapists, then mention that you’ve been a licensed
marriage counselor for the past two decades.

Your
Headshot

These should be full-resolution photos that
would look good if they were printed in a magazine. You need a minimum of 2-3
headshots that you feel confident about and wouldn’t mind seeing plastered
everywhere.

Keep in mind that you may need several
headshots for different audiences. For example, you might speak at tech
conferences and parenting ones, too. You’d have some headshots featuring you at
work or on your laptop. But you’d also want a second set of images that show
you relaxed and smiling at home with your kids.

An Audio (or
Video) Clip

Your media page might be the first time an
event coordinator has heard of you. You want their first impression to be that
you’re capable and professional. So if you have some clips where you’re
speaking, be sure to add them here.

You only need 1-2 videos or audio files and
they can be short (think less than five minutes). Make sure this content plays
in the browser as the coordinator may not want to download your big files.

Your Contact
Information

Finally, you want to make it easy for hosts
to book you. That means including relevant contact information on your media
page. An email address is best for this task. If you’re worried about spam, try
a special email like inquiries @ yourwebsite.com or speaking @ your
website.com.

You may also want to add a contact number
here as well. This helps coordinators who want to talk with you on the phone to
get a feel for your personality. If you don’t have a dedicated phone line for
this, try getting a Google Voice number. They’re free and they can be forwarded to
your regular cellphone.

Designing your media page doesn’t have to be difficult. Just make sure to include the information listed above. Remember that you can always update this page as often as you need.

Fran Watson

What if you could boost the visibility of your business? What if you could easily connect with potential clients in person? What if you got clarity around your message and influenced even more people with it?

With the So, You Want to Get Speaking Gigs? Workbook, you’ll discover how speaking benefits your business, what you need to get started, and how you can begin finding speaking events today. Here’s a peek at what you’ll see in your workbook…

The 4 Big Benefits of Becoming a Speaker

Create a Message You’re Proud to Share

Talking Money: What to Expect as a First-Time Speaker

Speaking Gigs Are Right Under Your Nose! Here’s How to Find Them…

Why Every Speaker Needs a Media Page (& What to Put on Yours!)

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About Fran Watson

Involved in public speaking since 2000. Joined Toastmasters in 2002 and have served in all Executive roles including serving one year as the District Public Relations Officer. Achieved my DTM in 2014. Develop and facilitate workshops in the area of employment and career development.